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# toad

noun (toad, toads)

«toad» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A toad is a small animal like a frog, an amphibian, usually with dry, bumpy skin and short legs that make it walk or hop rather than leap. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/toad/#m1)
2. Calling someone a toad is an old insult meaning a nasty person. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/toad/#m2)

### In the lessons

In science, toads are amphibians: they lay eggs (spawn, in strings) in water, the eggs hatch into tadpoles, which grow legs and become toads — a life cycle pupils draw. Toads spend more time on land than frogs. Safety: many toads have poison glands — do not lick or eat them, keep dogs away, and wash hands after touching; the cane toad in Australia is poisonous and a pest. In stories: Toad of Toad Hall («The Wind in the Willows»), the frog-prince tales. Phrases: common toad, cane toad, toad spawn, toadstool.

### Examples

- A toad has dry, warty skin, but a frog's skin is smooth and wet. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/toad/#x1)
- Toads lay their eggs in long strings. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/toad/#x2)
- The tadpoles will grow into toads. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/toad/#x3)
- Cane toads are a big problem in Queensland. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/toad/#x4)
- Wash your hands after holding a toad. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/toad/#x5)
- Mr Toad loved fast cars. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/toad/#x6)
- A toad sat very still by the pond, waiting for a fly. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/toad/#x7)
- Listen!” replied the great old toad. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/toad/#x8)

### Note

Countable: toads. Myth: touching a toad does not give you warts. A «toadstool» is not a stool for toads — it is a mushroom, often poisonous. Toad vs frog: toads usually have drier, bumpier skin, shorter legs, and walk more.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «toad» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/toad/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«toad» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/toad.html) on Mova free.